Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maryland
not renewing lease
I gave 2 1/2 months notice that I will not be renewing my lease. My contract is for one year. I gave a letter to my leasing office. they sent me a letter stating that I was two weeks late submitting the letter, and my lease was automatically renewed, and they fined me $964. Are there any laws in MD protecting me from paying this fine? I live in a low-income based apartment complex, qualifying to live there b/c I don't make more than $40,000/year, in fact I barely make half that. I do not have the financial means to support this fine. How can I fight this?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: not renewing lease
This answer is intended to provide general information only and is not intended as legal advice. Please make an appointment to discuss this matter in more detail with an attorney should you so desire.
This "fine" does not sound proper to me, especially if your lease is not terminated, although I would need to take a look at the lease in order to see what support for the "fine" the landlord is offering. In general, if a tenant gives insufficient notice of his intention to quit the premises, a landlord may collect his expectancy damages, that is, the amount of rent he would have collected if the tenant had not quit the premises early. A landlord cannot collect both rent and expectancy damages. Please contact you local legal aid office to see if they can provide you with additional assistance.
Susan Zuhowski
The Law Offices of Susan Zuhowski, P.A.
P.O. Box 1466
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